U.S. State Department Issues Travel Warning for Philippines

The U.S. Department of State issued a travel warning to Americans about the dangers of traveling to the Philippines, in particular to the Sulu Archipelago and the island of Mindanao. The department urged deferring all non-essential travel to the Sulu Archipelago, due to the high threat of kidnapping of international travelers and violence linked to insurgency there.

The U.S. also is warning U.S. citizens to exercise extreme caution if traveling to the island of Mindanao in the Southern Philippines. Throughout Mindanao, criminal groups have clashed sporadically with the Philippine Armed Forces, particularly in rural areas, and terrorist groups have kidnapped international travelers and carried out bombings that have resulted in injuries and deaths.

Security and safety conditions in the urban centers of Davao City, General Santos City, and Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao are generally more controlled. But U.S. embassy employees must receive special authorization from Embassy security officials to travel to any location in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, including these urban centers. U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in the Philippines should review the Department of State's Country Specific Information for the Philippines, which contains additional information about conditions throughout the country.

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